Rubber-cutting machine.



PATENTED NOV. 13, 1906.

' c. L. HIGGINS.

RUBBER CUTTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION PILED JANJB. 1905.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

No. 835,522. PATEN'IED NOV. 13, 1906. G. L. HIGGINS. RUBBER CUTTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 19. 1905. I

4 SHEETS- SHEET 2.

F/EB.

PATENTED NOV. 13, 1906.

c. L. HIGGINS. RUBBER CUTTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILEDJANJQ, 1905.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

No. 835,522. PATENTED NOV. 13, 1906. 0. L. HIGGINS. RUBBER CUTTING MACHINE.

APPLIOATION FILED JAN. 19. 1905.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

UNITED STATES PATENT onnion. CHARLES'LEANDER HIGGINS, OF MONTREAL, QUEBEC, CANADA.

RUBBER-CUTTING -IVIACHlNE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

- Patented Nev. 13, 1906.

Application filed anuary 19,1905. Serial No. 241.857.

' declare that the following is a full, clear, and

exact description of the same.

Mv invention has for its object to provide a machine by which up ers and soles or other members of articles 0 footwear or other articles of rubber can be roduced.

My invention may e said, briefly, to consistof a machine for formin rubber articles from a mass of rubber stoc in a semifluid state, such machine comprising a mold,

means whereby the semifluid rubber stock is fed to and packed into the mold, and means whereby the mold and its contents are removed from the mass. -For full comprehension, however, of the invention reference must be had to the accompanymg drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which like symbols indicate corresponding parts, and wherein Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly in section, of a rubber-cutting machine, constructed according to myinvention. Figs. 2 and 3 are detail enlarged perspective viewsof a pair of my mold-plates. Fig; 4 is a similar view of one of the frames for carrying the mold-plates and constituting a part of a trav cling table. Fig. 5 is a'deta'il transverse sectional view of one of the mold-plate su porting-frames of the table with a mol late therein. Fig. 6 isalongitudinalvertica sectional view thereof, and Fig. 7-'-i s a vertical sectional view of the machine, taken at right angles to the axes of the rollsand through the molds in the surface of the traveling table; and Fig. 8 is an enlarged perspective view of one of the mold-plates, portions of the two adjoining plates being shown in'dotted lines,

and illustrates particularly the adjoining beveled edges.

The main feature of my invention is the mold and presser-feed -roll, which conjointly form the article from a mass of. stock fed to the mold and from which the. articles are formed'ready for use in-the manufacture of other articles or individually-such, for instance, as soles molded from a mass of semi fluid rubber-stock, ready'to be applied to uppers, which may also be molded according to my invention ready for use or rubber heels or other articles of rubber to be used individ- 'Wardl I ually may be also formed by my improved means.

My improved molds are preferably formed in a series of plates carried in a series of members hinged together in a loop to form an endless table, while the necessary pressure is imparted to the stock in the molds, and the feeding of such stock is performed by a presserfeed roll, between which and a suitable support. or abutment such table is caused to travel. v The molds are indicated at b, and their ed es are referably slightly raised to provi e slight -pr otruding surrounding edges 0.

, I prefer to orm a pair of these molds (a right and a left) in each plate (1 and arrange them intandem.

' Ea'ch mold-plated has its side edges e correspondingly beveled in a plane extending upaway from the feed end of the tab e, and t e lower edges of both sides and ends cut awa to present areduced bottom portion f, a apted to fit into the frame-like members of the table, while one side edge ofthis portion is formed with an angular recess k, and the opposite edge is formed with sockets '5. These table members each consists of a preferably rectangular "open frame q, one side of which is formed with an inward 'y-projecting acute angular edge j, adapted to recelve the recess it, while the opposite side of'the frame is furnished with latches 70, adapted to engage in the sockets '11. The outside edge of each side is provided with knuckles m, adapted to register with knuckles upon the member next to it, and pintles n, inserted through the registering-knuckles, pivotally connect or .the members adjoining it. The table thus constructed is supported upon any preferred abutment, one presenting an antifriction-' bearing being preferable, and as it is necessary to maintain the molds constantly at a,

sufliciently high temperature to soften the rubber to the re%uired de ree to'rbe manipulated I utilize a eated roll 0 and locate a series 0 of steam-coils beneath and in close proximity to the table. In order to drive the table, I furnish the ends of the members, and consequently the side ed es of the table,

with a ser1es of pins p, and 00p such table over two pairs of sprocket-wheels g and 1, re-

spectively, the sprockets whereof engage the pins p. The wheels g and r are carried upon a pair of shafts s and t, respectively, mounted to rotate freely in bearing-boxes x, mounted adjustably in bracket-arms a and 1;, respectively, carried by the frame w of my machine. These bearing-boxes are adjustable to enable excessive slack in the table to be taken up or [0 thel tension thereof to be otherwise varied at The stock is fed and pressed into the molds by means of a series of calender-rolls 2, 3, and 4, the first (2) of which is the heated feed and presser roll before mentioned and is mounted in rigid boxes 5,'while' the rolls-3 and 4 are heated rolls, the roll 3 being mounted in adjustable'bearing-boxes 6, located in a pair of uideways 17, constituting a portion of the ame of the machine and held-with roll 3 in variable adjacency to the presser feedroll 2' by a pair of screws 8, taking through threaded openings in cross-pieces 9, closing the .upper ends of the guideways and bearing at their lower ends upon the bearing-boxes 6. The roll 4 is preferably arranged to one side of the roll 3 in order to allow of the;adjust-' ment of such latter roll, and this roll 4 is also adjustably mounted. It is mounted in a 3o, pa1I of bearing-boxes 10, mounted in turn. adjustably in a pair of laterally-projecting guiding frames or brackets 11, and .a pair of adjustingrscrews 12, carried in ,tapped Q enings in cross-pieces 13 at the outerlen s of, such guidin frames or brackets, serve tore 'tain roll 4 (carried'by the boxes 10) in variable adjacency to the roll 3.

The rolls are rotated by means of a series of gear-wheels 15, mounted rigidly upon the .1 4o trunnions thereof and receiving movement from a gear 16, driven by a main drivinggear 14, and such rolls are heated, preferably, by steam taken from any suitable generator (not shown) and fed to the interior of-the 5 rolls through pipes 17, coupled to the trunnions (which are tubular) by suitable swivels 18. A pair of pinions 21, mounted rigidly upon the ends ofthe supporting-roll 0, intermesh with the pins and impart movement to the table independently of the influence of the feed-roll 2. A pair of gears 121, (one of Which is shown,) mounted upon the opposite trunnion of roll 0, outside of the machineframe, intermesh with gears 15, :'and thus 35 transmit power to thegears 21 andthe table. My object in beveling the edges of the table members at an angle, as shown, extending upwardly awayfrom the feed end of the table 5 isdto prevent stock being forced between such .0 e ges. a t I I have not given-adetail description of the construction of the calender-rolls, their bearings, nor the manner in which they are heated, because such features specifically form tween such parts, although such is. only rethe complete soles, uppers, or heels, as the What I claim isas follows:

' bined feed and presser r0 1, means for rotating such roll; means formoving the movable no part of my'invention and are common to the manufacture of rubber footwear and the like. 1

Operation: The operation of my improved machine for molding articles of rubber from a mass of rubber stock in a semifluid state is as follows The semifiuid (soft unvulcanized) rubber is fed to rolls 4 and 3, and from the latter to roll 2 and the molds in the manner usual in the feeding of rubber to an engraved roll. If desired, the gears may be constructed to impart a sufficiently higher surface speed to feed-roll 2 than to the table to create a slight rubbing action be- 8o quired under certain conditions. As the members of the table leave the feed-roll they take with themzonly the stock pressed or packed into the molds, the balance remainmg on the feed-roll, and an operator picks case maybe, from the table.

Although I have illustrated a machine constructed according to my invention and adapted to the forming of soles for rubber footwear, I do not confine myself to such embodiment, as my invention with different shapes of molds can be applied to advantage to the formin of any other rubber articles at present cut y hand or formed in any way by manual labor. 1

I do not herein claim the method or process disclosed, as same may form the subject'- matter of a vdivisional application.

1. In a machine for formin the parts of rubber footwear from a mass 0 rubber stock in ,a semifiuid state, the combination. of a movable member havin a mold, a commember into position to be borne upon by the roll and then moved away from such 0- sition for the purpose of causing the mol to be packed with the semifluid rubber stock and the contents thereof to be separated from the mass, and means whereby the roll and mold are heated.

.2. In .a machine for formin the parts of rubber footwear from a mass 0 rubber stock in a semifiuid state, the combination of a table having a mold, a combined feed and presser roll, means for rotating such roll, means for moving the table into position to be borne upon by the roll and then moved away from such position for the urpose of causing the mold to be packed with the semifluid rubber stock and the contents thereof to be se arated from the mass, and means where y. the roll and mold are heated.

3.- In a machine for molding the parts of rubber footwear, the combinatlon of an endless fiat table having a series of molds therein, a combined feed and presser roll adjacent to the table and adapted to feeda mass of I30 rubber in a semifluid state to one of the molds and simultaneously press the same into such mold, means for rotating such roll and means for rotating the table. Y

4. In a machine for moldingfthe parts of rubber footwear, the combination of an endmeans whereby the table-sis moved, a series above and adjacent to the table in vertical,

of molds formed in the surface of the tableya combined feed and presser roll mounted line with the supporting means, and-means for feeding rubber stock in a semifluid state to the space between the roll above the table and the surface of the table such roll being adapted to feed the stock under pressure from the said space into the mold.

6. In a machine for forming the parts of rubber footwear, the combination with an endless table, means for su porting the table, means whereby the tab e is moved a series of molds formed-in the surface of the table, a roll mounted above and adjacent to the table in vertical line with the supporting means, means for adjusting the su porting means relatively to the roll above the table, and means for feeding rubber stock ina semifluid state to the space between the roll above the table and the surface of the table.

-7. In a machine for forming the parts of rubber footwear, the combination with a machine-frame supporting sprocket-Wheels and a supporting-roll, anendless table looped around such sprocket-wheels and having a serles of gear-teeth upon itsunder side, a

pinion carried by the roll and intermeshing with the gear-teeth, a series of molds formed in the surface of the table, a roll mounted above and adjacent to the table in vertical line with the supporting-roll, means for adjusting the supporting-roll relatively to the roll above the table and means for feeding rubber stockdn a semifluid state to the space between the roll above the table and the surface of the table.

,8. In a machine for forming the parts of rubber footwear, the combination with a machine-frame sup orting sprocket-wheels and a supporting-r0 an endless table looped around such sprocket-wheels and having a series of gear-teeth upon its under side, a

pinion carried by the roll andintermeshing with the gear-teeth, a, series of molds formed in the surface of the table, a roll mounted above and adjacent. to the table in vertical line with the supporting-roll, means for adjusting the supporting-roll relatively to the roll above the table, a series of calender-rolls for feeding rubber stock in a semifluid state to the roll above the table, and means whereby the rolls are heated.

9.- In a machine for forming the partsof rubber footwear, the combination with a presser-roll, of a movable member having a series of molds the surface of the portion of such member between the molds inclining downwardly away from the surrounding edge of the latter at a slight'angle to and merging into the remaining surface of-the member, means for feeding a mass of stock in a semifluid state to themold, and means for simultaneously exerting a pressure upon the contents of the mold and the protruding surroundin edge.

10. In a mac mn'e for forming articles from a mass of rubberstock in a semifluid state, the combination with means for feeding the semifluid mass, of a traveling table consisting of a plurality of plates each with a mold in one surface thereof, such plates having their side edges adjacent to one another and correspondingly beveled in a plane extending upwardly away from the feed end of the tab e for the purpose ofpreventin the semifluid Inassbeing forced between tie said plates, means for connecting the plates together, and means for supporting the table.

11. Ina machine for forming the parts of rubber footwear, the combination with rolling means for feeding the rubber stockin a state in which it is adapted to flow under pressure, of means coacting with a member and having an action wiping across the surface of such 'member for founding a cast of 

